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s we all look forward to the arrival of summer and the anticipation of warm days,
family BBQs and vacations, it is also a great time to take the opportunity to
review your family’s water safety and drowning prevention measures. The sad
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fact is that drowning is the number one cause of death of autistic children and adults.
Autism-related wandering is not uncommon, and many of these children go straight
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to nearby bodies of water. It is imperative that families take steps to prevent such tragedies. With this in mind, we put together 10 Water Safety Tips and a Drowning Preven1
tion Plan to help provide you and your family with a fun and safe summer.
10 Water Safety Tips
Teach your child to swim. If children
participate in formal swimming lessons
by the age of four, the drowning rate is reduced
by 88%, according to one study conducted by
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Dr. Ruth Brenner of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Hu2
man Development.
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Barriers around pools such as fences
and automatic pool covers should be
maintained at all times when the swimming
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pool is not in use, but be aware that children
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are clever and may figure out ways of climbing
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over fences and opening automatic pool covers.
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All gates should be self-closing and self-latching.
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4 Print flyers and educate your neighbors,
3 especially those who live near the water
or have pools without protective barriers. Let
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by Tammy
hotos provided
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them know that your child may wander and, if
so, how to contact you quickly if your child is
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discovered.
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Anderson-Lee
SAFETY
WATER
MMER
SU
N
ANDERSO
: TA M M Y
By
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–LEE
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
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Adult supervision should be in place
at all times while swimming in a pool.
Never leave to answer a phone or front door.
Designate a “Water Watcher” to supervise the
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pool or water during family gatherings and
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functions. Never use floatation devices as a substitution for direct supervision.
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Never leave toys in a pool, especially
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may entice a child to get into the pool in an at6
tempt to retrieve them.
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Parents and caregivers should be trained
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Red Cross and the American Heart Association as well as many other community service
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providers.
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Realize that drowning is silent. Most
people assume that a drowning victim
will be noticed with visible signs of distress
such as screaming, arms waving, etc. The truth
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is that many simply slip under the water un8
noticed, even by those who may be within an
arm’s reach.
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be installed on all doors,
8 Alarms shouldgates to notify the family
windows and
if 9 child has left the house.
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ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
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